Lorries large and small at Gaydon
- ann-evans
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
The Gaydon show held at the British Motor Museum over the weekend of 14-15 June saw crowds of visitors enjoying the spectacle of these gleaming giants of the road. And it was a great day out for the exhibitors too, as many set up chairs and tables next to their prized vehicles to enjoy a picnic and to reminisce about days gone by.
The Classic and Vintage Commercial Show is one of the largest shows of its kind in Europe involving everything from the heavier lorries such as AECs, Atkinsons, ERFs, Fodens and Leylands through to lighter lorries including Austin, Bedford, Dodge and Ford Thames; plus vans like Ford Transits, Morris Minors and many lesser known makes models.
Many commercial companies brought along an impressive range of their vehicles, showcasing their history and development over the years. And while some companies were no longer in the haulage business, many had stood the test of time and were recognisable as the mighty vehicles we see on roads and motorways every day.
E.M.Rogers of Northampton for example were established in 1945, so celebrating 80 years in the business. R.Swain & Sons, now known as the Swain Group actually began around 1918 with a horse and cart, progressing to their first motorised vehicle – The Vulcan, in 1921. Ken Thomas set up business in 1948 and has since gone from strength to strength.
There was a long line of vehicles on display from Knowles Transport which Gerald Knowles began in 1932 with just one vehicle. This is yet another success story – in 2000 Knowles Transport was awarded Haulier of the Year and continue to go from strength to strength today.
The line-up of these impressive commercial vehicles just went on and on, and visitors were enjoying the day, the stalls and the conversations with vintage vehicle owners.
For enthusiasts restoring vehicles, there was a large commercial vehicle autojumble selling vehicle spares, photos, brochures, models and all kinds of items associated with historic commercial vehicles, also Club stands and more. While inside the Motor Museum were two sizable Indoor Model Shows featuring over 160 tables showcasing kit and scratch-built models of commercial vehicles and landscapes.
A major part of the indoor display was the annual Gaydon Model Truck Festival 2025 competition. Model maker Ashley Coghill has been running this competition for over 35 years and bring together the very best model makers in the UK, Europe and beyond.
Around 150 – 160 modellers set up their hand-built models – some being scratch built, others from kits, and a team of eagle-eyed judges spend the two days examining the exhibits and noting those worthy of an award – which is announced on the Sunday afternoon.
Ashley said, “We have 200 trophies to give out, and 28 categories which cover things like Best Newcomer, Best Weathered and so on, with the coveted Best In Show being the top award.”
As always, the standard of model making was exceptional, and amongst the many notable efforts was the work of the oldest entrant on the day, 91-year-old Ron Bennett, whose model making skills were described by Ashley as ‘phenomenal!”
While Ron was the oldest competitor, 7-year-old Theo Reed took the Junior Award which delighted him and his parents. Dad Andrew had earlier taken a ‘Best Weathered’ award.
Choosing Best in Show involves a lot of deliberation and ‘whittling down’ and usually takes a good few hours of debate amongst the judges. They finally agreed that the 2025 Best In Show should be awarded to Ian Williams for his scratch built 8 x 8 Army Recovery Truck in 1/24th scale.
So, another excellent and successful competition and a fantastic day all round – whether you were into the giants of the road, or the scaled down versions!
See what else is happening at the British Motor Museum. https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/
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